COURTHOUSE HUMOR.

NZ Truth, Issue 605, 20 January 1917, Page 1

COURTHOUSE HUMOR.

He was an up-country magistrate and the case Involved a decision m connection -with the construction of a house which had 'been covered with tiles. The proprietor sued the builder as he (the owner) contended that there had not been sufficient "lap" of tile, the contractor having endonvored to "spread them" 80 as to save a few tiles, with the result that the place leaked like a collander. Ilia "Washup," m summing up, gave a faint gTin and said, "It appears that -ther© has been a 'few-tile' attempt made by the contractor to save material and keep out the rain." The only one who did not appreciate the "futile" joke was Mr. Jerry Builder. Ho had to pay for it. The above puts "Truth" m mind of the story of an English judge who was trying a case m which a vessel named iho Hesperus came In collision with another ship m the English channel. (Vimponsution whs claimed by one of the owners. It so happened that one of the counsel unpaged was named Mr. Channell, and he had a peculiar habit of neglecting to use the ;ut pirate. During the course of argument the nnmo of the damaged vessel cropped up frequently. "1 he-s pardon, gentlemen," Hnid the learned Judge, "do I undercut ml that there arc two ships with nunion very much alike involved In thin iirfjiKtirnt or Is th<« vessel mentioned i ho HfflperuH — Is there an H m iho name?" Quick ns thought the gent om« nrofte and Haiti, "Then? won. your Honor, but unfortunately It wan lost m the chop* of tho Channel "